A man who was caught on camera pistol-whipping and fatally shooting a long-time Coconut Grove resident pleaded guilty on Monday.
Albert Sistrunk, 40, accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to 20 years in state prison followed by ten years on probation.
According to investigators, the victim, Christopher Jones, 57, was riding his bicycle along Southwest 37th Avenue when Sistrunk approached in an SUV.
Surveillance video showed Sistrunk pistol-whipping Jones before firing a gun. Jones slumped nearly immediately after being hit.
The footage also shows at least two persons strolling or cycling by the victim’s body without stopping to assist. It wasn’t until a third stranger arrived that a crowd formed around Jones. Police arrived soon after.
Authorities say Sistrunk fled the scene, but the SUV he was reportedly driving was subsequently discovered parked on the lawn in front of a residence on Southwest 299th Street.
According to court records, Sistrunk was wearing clothing that matched what was seen in the surveillance footage, and detectives discovered blood stains on those clothes.
Jones was a prominent character in Coconut Grove. During Monday’s hearing, Sistrunk’s family forgave him but questioned why he had to shoot.
Sistrunk declined to speak during the sentence.
According to the family, Jones leaves behind a son, a police officer, who is grieving his father’s death.
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